Pre-loaded injector for use with intraocular lens

Abstract

An injector folding and injecting a flexible intraocular lens into the eye of a patient is described. The injector is configured to be loaded with the intraocular lens, and optionally, an aqueous solution, before the injector and lens are sterilized. The injector includes a lens compartment that is configured to prevent leakage of the aqueous fluid from the lens compartment caused by autoclaving/sterilization.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method for assembling an injector for folding and injecting a deformable intraocular lens into the eye of a patient, comprising:
 inserting a plunger into an injector body through an end piece of the injector body, the injector having a flange disposed at a position proximal to a space for holding an unfolded deformable intraocular lens; 
 inserting a plunger guide within the injector body; 
 disposing an unfolded intraocular lens within an internal support cavity of a lens support within the space holding the unfolded deformable intraocular lens, and mounting the lens support on the plunger guide; 
 assembling the injector body and a cap having a plurality of seal posts, the cap also having an interior space defining a cavity that, when the cap is mounted to the flange, defines a reservoir for holding a fluid to bathe an injection nozzle assembly, by aligning a plurality of seal holes and the plurality of seal posts in a one to one arrangement; 
 introducing a sufficient volume of an aqueous solution though an opening in the reservoir to keep the lens wetted; 
 fixing a flexible clamp to hold the cap onto the flange in a sealed relationship, the flexible clamp having an upper lip and a lower lip connected by a web to form a U-shaped channel, the flexible clamp configured to circumferentially engage an edge of the flange and a top edge of the cap in such a manner as to removably fix the cap to the flange in a fluid tight configuration onto the flange and the cap; 
 packaging the injector in a sealable foil packaging; and sterilizing the packaged injector. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution is a saline solution. 
     
     
       3. The injector of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible clamp has two arms, the two arms each having a first end and a second end, the first ends of the two arms being joined by a hinge. 
     
     
       4. The injector of  claim 3 , wherein the cap includes two pins disposed on one side of the cap at a top side of a top edge of the cap, configured to engage each of the second ends of the two arms of the flexible clamp to hold the second ends in a locked state.